. >> in our campaign, we are talking about balancing the budget, strengthening our economy, good education, but of course in the campaign a little part of it is about my scottish and this. we have the slogan, i am a mac. that is a campaign on the internet where people say we want david mcalister tuesday prime minister of lower saxony because we're doing a successful job. >> mcalister and his union are expected to get the biggest proportion of the vote, but they need the government as coalition partners, and their current partners, the free democrats, not that the 5% of the votes needed to have a seat in parliament, meeting the coalition government of the future may be headed by the opposition. that is a predicament faced by the german chancellor angela merkel. why she cares so much about this race. she made seven campaign appearances with mcalister. what happened in lower saxony is said to be a dress rehearsal for the general election in september because the free democrats are doing dismally on the national stage. voters here care about regional issues first and foremost. >> social issues